BALTIMORE — Led by a dominant defensive effort, the Ravens put away the Carolina Panthers late in a 13-3 victory Sunday, extending their winning streak to four games.
Cornerback Marcus Peters’ forced fumble midway through the fourth quarter set up quarterback Lamar Jackson for the game’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run, and helped ease concerns about the Ravens’ struggles against a rebuilding Carolina team.
Carolina (3-8) was held to 205 yards of total offense, the fewest against the Ravens this season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked four times and finished 21-for-33 for 196 yards and two interceptions. The Panthers’ running game was limited to 36 yards and just 2.1 per carry.
The Ravens (7-3) and Jackson weren’t much better. Jackson was mostly accurate (24-for-33) but finished with just 6.3 yards per attempt and an interception. The Ravens’ running game, which entered the game with at least 150 yards in eight straight games, the longest single-season streak since the 1985 Chicago Bears, started slow and finished with 26 carries for 121 yards (4.7 per attempt).
Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson led the Ravens with nine catches on nine targets for 128 yards, just his second career 100-yard performance. Tight end Mark Andrews returned from knee and shoulder injuries to make six catches for 63 yards. Running back Kenyan Drake led all players with 10 carries for 46 yards.
Defense, though, won the day in Baltimore. The Ravens allowed just 13 first downs, holding Carolina to 3-for-12 on third-down opportunities and forcing three turnovers, all in the fourth quarter. Peters ripped the ball loose from wide receiver Shi Smith, giving the Ravens the ball at Carolina’s 31-yard line. Jackson scored a minute later to give the Ravens a 13-3 lead.
The Panthers’ final drives ended with a turnover on downs; an interception by cornerback Marlon Humphrey, his career-high-tying third this season; and an interception by outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, who caught a pass batted at the line of scrimmage by defensive lineman Broderick Washington.
The Ravens’ defensive dominance started early. They allowed just two first downs and forced two three-and-outs in the first half, holding the Panthers to 63 yards of offense over four possessions. Carolina’s only points, a 32-yard field goal by kicker Eddy Pineiro in the third quarter, came on a 40-yard drive helped along by Ravens penalties.
But on offense, there weren’t many dividends. Ravens running backs Justice Hill and Drake combined for 6 yards on seven first-half carries against a middling run defense. Jackson was 14-for-21 for 120 yards before halftime, but he passed for just four first downs.
One promising second-quarter drive ended with an interception to defensive tackle Bravion Roy, who stopped a pass at the line of scrimmage before it reached Andrews. The Ravens’ only foray into the red zone netted a 32-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker as time expired, the drive’s hopes undercut by a slow-moving offense.
Injuries also became a pressing concern for the Ravens. Safety Kyle Hamilton left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley joined him in the locker room later in the period after suffering an ankle injury. Stanley missed most of the past two years with a left ankle injury.
